


Moments Worth Waiting For

by Bellakitse



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt TK, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Worried Carlos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: After TK has an accident at work, Carlos waits with his crew to see if he's okay.Grace sits with him, lending him a shoulder to rest on.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Grace Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 22
Kudos: 329





	Moments Worth Waiting For

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: 4. “holding everything in doesn’t help, you know?”
> 
> So this took so much longer than I expected and part of it feels like rambling, but I hope it doesn't read that way.  
> Anyway, hope you all like it.

Carlos Reyes sits in an uncomfortable chair at St. David Medical Center, staring at a closed door of the hospital where his boyfriend once again lies after another brush with death.

“I’m going to kill him,” Judd mutters angrily next to him as he fidgets in his seat. “After we bubble wrap him within an inch of his life, I’m going to kill him. Damn kid is going to send all of us to an early grave from worry.”

Carlos doesn’t say anything, but he understands the sentiment. It’s only been five months since TK got shot, five months since they decided to be together, making them the happiest months of Carlos’ life. Five months and here they are again, scared shitless as they wait to find out if TK is okay after a beam fell on him while answering to a fire in a downtown building.

Getting the call from Captain Strand telling him that TK was in the hospital after an accident had caused his heart to drop to his stomach – hours later, without the chance to see TK yet, his heart hasn’t returned to its rightful place.

“Bubble wrap and caution tape,” Judd continues his ranting, turning to look at him. “You probably have some in your squad car, right, Reyes?”

Carlos opens his mouth only to close it again, not really sure how he should answer the man. Luckily for him, Grace, Judd’s wife, places a hand on him, drawing his attention.

“Judd, darling, why don’t you go get us some coffee,” she says kindly even as her tone lets them know it’s not a suggestion. “You can keep planning to baby proof TK when you come back,” she finishes saying sarcastically.

Judd pouts at Grace’s blatant mocking but still stands up to do as she asks, leaving the space between them free.

“Sorry,” she says to him with a kind smile. “He gripes because he’s worried, it’s just Judd’s way of showing affection.”

Carlos gives her a half-smile to be polite before his eyes stray back to the closed door of the hospital room. Owen had gone in there with the doctor over twenty minutes ago and still nothing, he was slowly going insane.

Grace continues to look at him, a warm tentative look on her pretty face. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine,” Carlos says on autopilot, grimacing when Grace shoots him a look that calls bull shit on his response. “Grace – “ he starts again, only to quiet when Grace’s expression turns no-nonsense.

“There is no one here that understands better than me what you are feeling,” she tells him, her voice serious. Her eyes lock with his, and Carlos can’t look away. He feels his heart catch at her next words. “To be so in love with someone who is always in danger. To have them in a hospital bed and not know if they’re going to be okay. I get that fear better than anyone.”

Carlos swallows hard, the word love echoing in his ears. He knows he loves TK, there isn’t a doubt in his mind of that, but this is the first time the word has been used when it relates to them, and it’s neither of them using it.

“We haven’t said we love each other yet,” he says quietly, giving voice to his thoughts. The smile he gets from Grace in return is as tender as it is amused.

“Sometimes things are obvious even without the words, sweetheart,” Grace says knowingly as she reaches out to take his hand in hers, laughing softly when he gives her a shy smile, feeling bashful at how obvious his feelings are. “ _But_ ,” she continues with emphasis. “Holding everything in doesn’t help, you know?” she tells him with a raised eyebrow. “You should tell him.”

“Tell him what?” he questions quietly, looking around the waiting room again before landing on the door that remains closed despite his silent wishing for it to open already. “That I’m completely and hopelessly in love with him, or that I lose years of my life from worry when he’s in danger. Or maybe, that the idea of losing him makes something in my chest squeeze so hard it seems impossible to catch my breath?”

“I think all that falls under the _hopelessly in love_ category,” she says kindly, chuckling again when he shoots her an exasperated look. She squeezes his hand, letting out a small sigh. “That feeling you described just now, that ‘can’t catch your breath’ feeling?” she questions with a sad, understanding smile on her lips. “I know that feeling all too well, Carlos. It’s exactly how I felt when Judd and the 126 had their accident. It felt like there wasn’t enough air in the room as I waited to see if Judd would wake up, I felt like I was dying.”

Carlos licks his lips anxiously. “Does that feeling stop?” he asks, his spirits lifting when her sad expression brightens.

“It did,” she tells him, her eyes shine with unshed tears; it’s obvious the memory still causes an emotional reaction out of Grace, but she smiles through it. “He opened his eyes and looked at me, and it was like there was oxygen in the room again. It will probably be the same for you.”

Carlos goes to speak when the door of TK’s room opens, a doctor walks out, followed by Owen, who looks around the room as everyone goes to attention.

“He’s okay, he’s awake,” he says, letting out a deep breath that’s echoed by everyone in the waiting room.

The volume in the room goes up as TK’s crew asks to see him, but Owen just shakes his head before turning to look at him. “He’s asking for you, Carlos,” he tells him as the side of his mouth lifts. “Won’t stop, actually.”

Carlos lets out a shaky breath as Grace pats his hand once more before he stands, breaking her gentle hold.

Walking towards the hospital room, he pauses at the door when Owen reaches out and squeezes his shoulder in support before moving to the side to let him in.

He finds green eyes already on him as he steps into the hospital room. TK is sitting up on the bed, white gauzes circle his head, and there are scratches on his face and left arm along with some light burns from the beam that fell on him.

“How are you feeling?” he asks TK, his voice thick as he tries to control his emotions and not sound as scared now as he’s felt since Owen called. The way TK’s gaze on him goes impossibly soft lets him know he’s not very successful.

“I'll feel much better when my boyfriend comes closer,” TK answers, his lips tilting at the corners when Carlos scoffs softly even as he walks towards the bed.

Once he’s within touching distance, TK does just that, and reaches out for his hand.

“And I’ll feel even better when said boyfriend I’m crazy about leans down to kiss me,” he continues, his pretty green eyes dancing with amusement as Carlos shakes his head.

“Needy,” he murmurs, feeling lighter when TK bobs his head in agreement before tipping his chin up, waiting for his kiss.

Carlos brushes his mouth against TK’s, keeping the kiss soft, not wanting to hurt TK’s injured body any more than it already is.

“I was so scared,” Carlos confesses against his mouth, not pulling back even as he sits at the edge of the bed.

“I know,” TK answers, his voice no more than a whisper, his face remorseful as he rests his forehead against Carlos’. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, baby,” Carlos whispers back. “You were just doing your job.”

“I know,” TK sighs, pressing his forehead a little harder against Carlos’ for a moment before pulling back to look at him. “I just hate making all of you worry,” he continues as he raises his hand, running his thumb over Carlos’ brow. “Especially you, sweetheart. I hate it.”

“I can’t help that,” Carlos says, almost apologetically. “I always worry about you.”

TK smiles softly at him, his eyes shining with affection and love. It echoes the feeling inside his chest, and Carlos remembers Grace's earlier advice.

“TK – I,” he starts only for TK to lift his hand, covering his mouth.

“I know,” TK tells him, and if his expression was full of love seconds ago, it’s nothing compared to now.

“I know, Carlos,” he continues, smiling that special TK smile of his that Carlos loves so much. “And I feel exactly the same way.”

Carlos touches TK’s wrist, bringing the hand over his mouth off his face. “Then why…” he trails off, lifting the hand between them.

“I don’t want the first time we say those words to be here,” TK explains; he brings their clasped hands to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss over Carlos’ knuckles. “I don’t want it to be while I’m in a hospital bed, and you’re worried about me,” he continues, frowning gently as he looks up at him. “I think we deserve better than that baby, don’t you?”

Carlos looks at TK, takes in the marks on his face, the tiredness of his eyes as the day’s event starts to take its toll, making them take on a haziness to their usual bright green, and he realizes TK is right. They do deserve a better moment for their first I love you’s than this. He continues to look at him, the man he loves, and even without the words, knows loves him too, banged up, but alive, and he thanks his lucky stars that they’ll have a chance after today to say those words.

“Yeah, baby, we do,” he agrees, his heart fluttering when TK smiles beautifully at him. “We do.”

TK is still smiling when he tugs him in closer, and he’s still smiling when they kiss. “We’ll get that moment, sweetheart,” he whispers against his lips before kissing him again.

A week later, when TK is safe and out of the hospital. When he’s in his arms as they get ready for bed and TK says those words, pressing them into the skin below his ear, his heart feeling fuller than it’s ever felt before, he knows the moment was worth the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/)


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